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Supporting strategic thinking of smallholder dairy farmers using a whole farm simulation tool
- Source :
- Tropical Animal Health and Production, Tropical Animal Health and Production, Springer Verlag (Germany), 2013, 45 (5), pp.1119-1129. ⟨10.1007/s11250-012-0335-6⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2012
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2012.
-
Abstract
- This article investigates how a one-to-one support process based on the use of a whole dairy farm simulation tool helps both farmers to reflect on their production strategies and researchers to better understand the farmers' contexts of action and decision. The support process consists of a minimum of four discussion sessions with the farmer: designing the Initial Scenario and formulating a diagnosis, building and simulating the Project Scenario corresponding to the objective targeted by the farmer, building and comparing alternative scenarios proposed both by the farmer and the researcher, and evaluating the process with the farmer. The approach was tested with six smallholder farmers in Brazil. It is illustrated with the example of one farmer who aimed to develop his milk production by more than doubling his herd size on the same cultivated area. Two other examples illustrate the diversity of issues addressed with this approach. The first estimates the sensitivity of economic results to price variations of milk and concentrates. The second compares two scenarios in terms of forage supply autonomy. The discussion assesses the outcomes of the approach for farmers in terms of response to their specific issues and of knowledge acquired. The research outputs are discussed in terms of the value and limits of using simulation tools within both participatory action research and advisory processes.
- Subjects :
- [SDV.SA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences
Computer science
Participatory approach
010501 environmental sciences
01 natural sciences
E14 - Économie et politique du développement
Food Animals
Surveys and Questionnaires
Learning process
[SDV.IDA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Food engineering
media_common
2. Zero hunger
Strategic thinking
Communication
Environmental resource management
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Dairying
Milk
Production laitière
Value (economics)
Price sensitivity
Female
Brazil
Autonomy
Process (engineering)
media_common.quotation_subject
Decision Making
Participatory action research
Scenario analysis
Petite exploitation agricole
Animals
Humans
Production (economics)
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
business.industry
L01 - Élevage - Considérations générales
Modèle de simulation
Environmental economics
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Cattle
Animal Science and Zoology
business
[SDV.AEN]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Food and Nutrition
Diversity (business)
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15737438 and 00494747
- Volume :
- 45
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Tropical Animal Health and Production
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3dabbaa5be88236ae6a59df86aaea1f7